A rendering of the completed project
was prepared for approval by the
CDOT and local agencies.
38 | ASPIRE
,
Spring 2008
The residents and visitors at the world-
class ski resort of Aspen, Colorado, have
waited years for the 'Entrance to Aspen'
project to be completed. This consists of
the reconstruction of State Highway 82
as the primary access road and one of
only two routes into the town from the
west. The highway crosses the wide and
deep Maroon Creek basin at the town
limits on the oldest bridge in service on
the Colorado state highway system. Due
to its historical significance, the existing
bridge is listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
Originally constructed as a railroad
trestle bridge in 1888, the Colorado
Midland Railroad Bridge became the
property of what was then called the
Colorado Department of Highways in
1927. The Maroon Creek Bridge was
converted for highway use in 1929 and
widened in 1963 to its current width of
30 ft by adding outrigger struts to the
original A-frame trestles. Since then,
the timber bridge deck with asphalt
has been replaced once and repaired
several times. To this day, the structure
continues to require high maintenance
profile
Ma R oon C ReeK BRiDge RePlaC eMenT / StAtE H IGHWAy 82, A SPEn, CoLoRADo
ENGINEER: Parsons transportation Group, Denver, Colo.
PRIME CONTRACTOR: BtE Concrete/Atkinson Construction JV, Glenwood Springs, Colo.
CONTRACTOR'S ENGINEER: mcnary Bergeron & Associates, Denver, Colo.
C ONSTRUCTION INSPECTION: Carter Burgess, Denver, Colo.
C ONCRETE SUPPLIER: Lafarge north America, Carbondale, Colo.
maroon Creek Bridge
replacement
by Thomas W. Stelmack, Parsons
ASPIRE_spring08.indb 38 3/24/08 1:06:31 PM
